Although children who live in environments of violence and poverty are frequently the subjects of psychoanalysis, much less attention is given to the fears and anxieties of children from more fortunate families. In the case of one San Francisco Bay Area school, the two head teachers in the kindergarten class were going to be absent for two non-consecutive weeks, following winter break, to interview prospective students for the upcoming school year. The teachers explained to the students what they would be doing during the upcoming week and that the assistant teachers would be in charge of the classroom. Despite the careful planning and preparation, the children complained about the disruption in their routines while the teachers were absent. The assistant teachers, who previously had been loved and appreciated, became the objects of dislike and disrespect. Children with a stable capacity for verbal negotiation began to revert to physical outbursts and temper tantrums. An interview with the children revealed an array of stories about being "bribed" with candy and treats by baby-sitters as comfort while their parents were away for the evening or a vacation. The teachers' leaving was seen as punishment for their oedipal strivings and successes. Because the teachers were leaving to interview prospective students, i.e., replacements, the conflicts became intensified and the affects difficult to manage. (BF)